


Focus

by SandyFeral



Series: Research & Development au [1]
Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991)
Genre: AU, M/M, an oc in here, basically they’re not mutated, research & development au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-06-16 13:38:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19651444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SandyFeral/pseuds/SandyFeral
Summary: Working with Dr. Bushroot is certainly an interesting experience for Bud, especially when his feelings start getting out of hand.





	1. The beginning of a problem

**Author's Note:**

> This whole thing is honestly just started as a lead in to the first nsfw fic I ever made, but I hope y’all still enjoy it!

It hadn’t started out as a problem.

Bud’s relationship with Reginald Bushroot began a little over a week after the scientist began working for him full time. The two of them were leaving a meeting and Bushroot, or “Reggie” as Bud had taken to calling him, was babbling on about something that had been mentioned.

“I mean honestly it’s a pretty simple concept,” Bushroot said. “I mean yeah you’d have to know a little bit about biology, but if I had e-enough time I could probably explain it to you… m-maybe over dinner sometime?”

At the time the invitation had nearly slipped by Bud unnoticed. 

“I’m sure you could, and I’d be very interested in that if-” then Bud stopped, registering what the duck had just said. “Over dinner?”

“I mean, if you’re free any time,” Reggie smiled, but was obviously a little nervous. “If you want, I mean i-if it’s not too unprofessional for me to ask Mr. Flood.”

This was quite unexpected. Not that the doctor hadn’t been clearly showing signs of affection towards him, but it had been quite a while since one of his coworkers or employees had actually asked him out. It was actually, to say the least, a slight bit unprofessional. 

Truth be told, he had recently been avoiding starting another relationship after the his last one had come to an end. A particularly drawn out and tedious end at that. If he hadn’t been so focused on work lately, he probably wouldn’t have ended up with the success he had now.  
But starting a long-term relationship like that was quite different than going to dinner once with a coworker, and Reggie seemed like someone Bud could easily handle interacting with. 

“I’m free tomorrow evening,” Bud said. “Would that work for you?”

“Oh, I’m free anytime I’m not at work,” Bushroot replied. He grimaced. “I mean n-not that I don’t have anything else to do, but my schedule is pretty flexible.”

“Well then how about-”

“Mr. Flood sir!” The sound of the voice of Bud’s secretary Susanne reached his ears. “There’s someone who needs to speak to you.”

“Hold on,” Bud said. He grabbed a pen and spotting some of Bushroot’s lab notes nearby, scribbled a few digits onto them and handed them to Bushroot. “For more details, just call this number! I’ll be awaiting your call sometime after six tonight!”

The last Bud saw of Bushroot that day was him staring at the phone number on the corner of his lab notes with a very large smile on his face.

When he next saw the doctor it was 7:02 and he was sitting at a restaurant table. Bushroot almost looked surprised when he saw Bud walk in only two minutes after their arranged meeting time. 

“What?” Bud asked. “Did you expect to be stood up?”

“Oh, of course not!” Bushroot replied. “You never seemed to be the type to be late to a business meeting.”

“A ‘business meeting?’ Is that what you call this?” Bud raised an eyebrow. “I know you mentioned explaining a concept to me, but I had a feeling this was more for pleasure than business.”

“I mean…” Bushroot smiled. “I was hoping it could be more between friends than coworkers but I didn’t want to assume you thought of my as a friend.”

“I don’t think you asked me to dinner because you wanted to be friends,” Bud said with a broad grin. 

“W-What do you mean by that?”

Bud almost wanted to laugh at the duck’s confused expression, but the implications of his lack of understanding were a little sobering.

“I feel like that was pretty clear,” Bud said.

Bushroot’s face flushed as understanding dawned upon him. “You mean y-you thought this was a date? I-I’m not interested in you in that way!” Bushroot averted his eyes then continued. “I think? Or maybe I am? I n-never really considered it.” His face was now pink. He glanced at Bud and frowned. “D-Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“You just h-have this know-it-all expression like I’ve just realized something obvious!”

At that moment a waiter came up and asked to take their orders. Bud smirked as he watched the duck flinch at the servers voice, then proceed to stammer his way through ordering his meal. He didn’t know why, but he was enjoying Reggie’s flustered mannerisms. Even his smile seemed to elicit another small reaction. 

When the waiter was gone Bushroot turned back to him. “Ok, so m-maybe I am interested in you. I don’t really know for sure. Even though, for some reason you seem pretty certain of it.”

“Reggie, you’re not exactly subtle,” Bud said. “You show some pretty obvious signs of infatuation.”

“And you still agreed to come.”

“Why would I pass up on this opportunity? I enjoy your company.”

“But you’re…”

“Unlike the competition, Bud Flood can create a relationship with anyone! Not just women.”  
“I didn’t think you seemed the type,” Bushroot mumbled.

Bud rolled his eyes. “A common misconception I assure you.”

“So this i-is a date?”

“If you want it to be! You are the one who invited me.”

“Then yes!” Bushroot smiled. “I’d love for this to be a date.”

And to say that that first date went smoothly wouldn’t be entirely accurate. It was still a bit awkward but Bud enjoyed himself. And there was another, and a few moments here and there, and Bud found that he now had a boyfriend.

Every once in a while a good opportunity for romantic contact and flirtation, but Bud rarely had long periods of time to really spend with his new partner. Something certainly built up, a small, inexplicable sense of longing every time he saw him. Despite the date, Bud had never meant to really get attached to him, it just… happened. Before he knew it he was giving the Duck small kisses to say goodbye, holding his hand under the table during meetings. But that wasn’t the problem.

What really started the problem was a small incident. It wasn’t particularly significant, or long, or even romantic. It happened when someone spilled their coffee.

While Bushroot and Bud were talking, a stray coffee cup landed directly on the duck’s lab coat. After the person apologized profusely, throwing several nervous glances towards Bud, the two headed to the corner of the room to get Bushroot cleaned up.

“We should have a few extra lab coats around here,” Bud said, handing Reggie a couple towels. “You didn’t get burned did you?”

“No, no!” Bushroot began to take off his stained lab coat. “I’ve had worse.”

Bud was about to question what exactly that “worse” was when he suddenly became very distracted. 

Without the lab coat on Bushroot’s arms were not entirely covered and his figure was more visible. It was certainly not a conventionally attractive figure, yet Bud still felt a strong urge to look at it. As his gaze fell on it he realized Bushroot was starting to untuck his shirt. Slipping his hand beneath his shirt, the duck began to wipe coffee from his body, exposing some of his feathers underneath.

And that was what started it.

Soon every time Bud thought of Reggie his mind began to wander. One day he was simply looking at some statistics the doctor had sent him, when he began to get distracted.  
It had started with a thought about his lab coat, then turned to a thought about what he’d look like without it, and eventually morphed into somewhat inappropriate musings about his backside.

Specifically thoughts about tail feathers. Bud had been with other ducks a few times before, and could recall the feeling of a few extra feathers on their backsides. While they were nowhere near as fun to play with as a tail like his, he had a fondness for touching them, flicking them, the feeling of their softness against his fingers. 

He couldn’t help but grin at the idea of what Reggie’s face would look like if he-  
“Sir,” Susanne’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Bud looked up. “Yes?”

“Your pencil.” She pointed to the corner of her mouth.

Bud suddenly realized that there was something in his mouth. Quickly he pulled the pencil out of his mouth and looked at it, only to see it was indeed covered in indents made by his canine teeth.

“Ah.” Bud placed the pencil down on his desk.

“What’s bothering you now?” Sue asked.

“Nothing!” Bud said. “Though if I find myself a little distracted there’s no reason for concern! I’m still running as efficiently as ever!”

“I’m sure you are,” Sue said.


	2. Distractions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bud’s thoughts start affecting his work

“I’m still running as efficiently as ever!”

That had been a lie. Although these thoughts weren’t directly impeding his ability to work, it wasn’t as if it wasn’t distracting. When Reggie was there, his gaze lingered on him, when he wasn’t there, his mind wandered. And people were beginning to notice.

Every once in a while Bud would drop by one of the two labs. There was one where the doctor could work by himself, and one where a team of scientists studied his ideas and formulas. Today he decided to drop by the team’s lab first.

Despite Bushroot not being there, Bud decided to take a walk around the lab to look at their progress. As he passed by a group of scientists, he heard a whispered conversation. He decided to slow his pace, keeping his gaze averted from those speaking.

“I’m just saying,” one of them said in a lowered voice. “Sure Bushroot’s work is somewhat impressive, but there’s probably much better qualified people to lead this experiment.”

“Well Dr. Bushroot isn’t exactly… the most put together duck I’ve ever seen,” a second scientist said. “But I’m sure the boss had a good reason for hiring him.”

“Oh I’m sure he had a reason. I just don’t think it’s a good one.”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you seen those two? I’m pretty sure part of the reason he got this job is because our boss wants to fuck him.”

Bud stopped in his tracks, his ears perking up.

“Why the hell would you think that?” Another scientist asked incredulously.  
Bud turned to look in the direction of the conversation. One of the people talking noticed his gaze and paled, but the first kept talking.

“I’m just saying if he didn’t have some sort of bias, I’m pretty sure he would have hired someone more qualified to lead the research team. Personally I’d prefer that.”

The scientist who had spotted Bud shook their head, their eyes darting from the speaker to their boss who was now standing directly behind them.

The first speaker, still oblivious, continued. “What, are you saying you like working with Dr. ‘plant-loving’ Bushroot?”

“Well I don’t know about them.” Bud’s voice made the speaker freeze. Bud leaned down so his head was right over the shoulder of the first scientist.

“I know though, that I personally quite like working with Dr. Bushroot,” Bud finished.  
The scientist gulped.

“So,” Bud said. “What exactly is your problem with Dr. Bushroot?”

…

Bud knew firing an employee for personal reasons was not a great decision. So that wasn’t exactly what he did…

He was used to his business decisions being questioned, and it usually didn’t get him mad. This time it was just a bit upsetting because they were putting his new partner down to right?  
No… that wasn’t it. That was part of the reason but there was more to it than just that. “He got this job is because our boss wants to fuck him.” That’s what they had thought. That wasn’t true… of course not…

Bud would readily admit that he enjoyed a good sex partner as much as the next person, but it was usually just a quick affair, a fun distraction during his off time, or in one case just what was expected of him in a “committed relationship.” He had prided himself on not letting his erotic feelings control him. And truth be told, he was usually pretty good at it. The only time his hornyness really got the better of him was when he was really attached to someone and that was… well, very, very, rare. Bud could count the few times that had happened on one hand, and all then were years ago, and none of those instances had happened this quickly.  
That couldn’t be what was happening now, could it?

The answer to that question came in the form of another thought. A pervasive, distracting, yet somewhat pleasant thought.

They were alone, Bushroot and Bud in one room. It had began with the doctor explaining one of his experiments, but had devolved into flirting and affectionate gestures.

“I should really be going,” Bud said, as he held the duck in his arms.

“O-oh of course,” Bushroot said. “I wouldn’t want to keep you.”

There were a few moments of silence.

“You’re not letting go,” Bud said, grinning.

“Well neither are you!”

Bud’s hand slid down Reggie’s back. “I know.” It landed on the duck’s behind and lingered there for a moment. Then, after a quick squeeze, Bud relinquished his hold on the duck.  
The action elicited a quick squeak from Bushroot’s mouth, and his face turned pink as a smile spread across it. Bud found that he thoroughly enjoyed that noise and that sight.

“I’ll return after this quick commercial break!” Bud said. “Make sure you keep yourself busy in the meantime!”

“O-of course sir!” Reggie said, a flustered smile on his face. “But I’ll still be glad to see you again.”

“I would hope so,” Bud said before exiting the room.

It took a few steps before it really hit him.

The blush, the little squeak, the way he had said “sir.” That was all absolutely adorable. He leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. He had a meeting to be in, now was not the time to be thinking about his boyfriend.

After shaking his head and attempting to clear his thoughts, he made his way to the meeting. For a little while it worked, for a few minutes, but then the thought popped back into his head.

Reggie’s body, his mouth, his stomach, his backside. Blushing, calling him “sir” again, on his bed about to-

No, no that was too far. Even when Bud slept with others it was rarely in his house, in his bed. But the thought was appealing and the image kept popping back up in his head, distracting yet pleasing.

“Uh Mr. Flood?”

Bud blinked focusing on the person who had spoken. “Need something?”

“Are you ok? You look a bit uneasy.”

Suddenly he noticed that his whole body had tensed up as he had tried desperately to keep himself from being distracted. Realizing had a tight grip on his own leg, Bud unclamped his claws and attempted a smile.

“Looks can be deceiving, I assure you I’m perfectly fine!”

  
The lie came out of him naturally, as they always did. He barely understood a word of what anyone was saying for the rest of the meeting. Images of Reggie kept popping in his head, images that he was very glad no one else could see. It was almost impossible to focus on the meeting at hand, but he did learn something.

He was, in fact, very horny. And it was starting to become a problem.


	3. A casual unplanned hangout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bud tries to make a plan and it goes... well?

Bud liked to make plans. Not just for business, for many personal things too. Now seemed like a good time for a plan.

It was noon, and the two of them were on a short break in Bushroot’s private lab. This was how he started.

“Go out?” Bushroot asked. “Like another date? I mean I’d love to but do you mind giving me a bit more time to get ready? I mean that’s right after work, I and I have to pick out the right outfit and-”

“I didn’t exactly mean a formal date. It’s closer to an after work hangout. I was thinking I could walk to your house and take you somewhere,” Bud said.

“Where?”

“Haven’t decided yet.”

That was a lie.

“It doesn’t really matter,” Bud continued. “As long as I’m with you I don’t care where we go.”

Almost true, but not quite.

“S-so we’re both just wearing casual clothes?” Reggie asked.

“Well I know I will. What is it with you and clothes Reggie?” Bud asked.

“I just like l-looking nice! That’s not weird! You know, dress to impress and all that.”

“You don’t need to try to impress me,” Bud said with a grin. “I doubt I’ll be able to keep my eyes off you.”

That was entirely true.

And hours later, when Bud arrived to find Bushroot in a t-shirt and a pair of plain pants, his eyes were still drawn to him. It was almost infuriating, but that was why he was here in the first place.

“So are you actually going to tell me where we’re going?” Reggie asked after a few minutes of walking. 

“Nope!” Bud said. “Our destination will remain a secret for a little while longer.”

“Oh, why does that sound suspicious?”

“I don’t know! Don’t you trust me Reggie?”

“O-of course I do, but what am I supposed to think when you’re taking me somewhere, and you won’t tell me anything?”

“Fair enough,” Bud said. “It’s not anything bad, I promise.”

Eventually the two reached their destination, a clean, warm, lively bar, decently far away from the bad side of town. It needed to inviting, it needed to not be too crowded, and Bud had enough experience to know that it wouldn’t dissuade his partner. Now came the tricky part.  
The day after would be one of Bud’s days off, which meant that getting a hangover wouldn’t be too bad. So it shouldn’t have been unreasonable when he began to drink.

“You drink?” Bushroot asked.

“What, did you think I was a straightedge?” Bud asked, amused. “I thought you knew me better than that.”

“Well Sue did say you quit smoking,” Bushroot said. “I just thought that might include drinking too.”

Bud raised his eyebrows. “Oh you have been paying attention! Smoking was… well let’s just say that being more advertiser-friendly was not the only reason I needed to quit. Drinking on the other hand, I can handle.” He rested his chin on his palm. “And what about you?”

“Me? Oh no, no I don’t drink.”

“Have you ever tried?”

“A couple times.”

Bud tilted his glass slightly, urging the duck to continue.

Bushroot sighed. “One time, when I was in college, I was with a bunch of people I didn’t know and one friend. They a-all started drinking and then they started telling me to do it, and y’know, it got c-completely out of hand. I don’t really remember what happened next. Then another time... but anyway I don’t really drink anymore.”

“Drinking with strangers? Submitting to peer pressure? That’s a sure-fire way to get yourself into trouble.” Bud slid his half-empty glass towards the doctor a smidge. “If you’re going to drink you should be with someone you trust.”

Reggie stared at the glass. “I don’t know. I don’t really know how much I can take. I could do something I really regret.”

“I won’t let anything too bad happen as long as I’m sober, and I promise you I can take quite a bit.”

After another few moments, Bushroot hesitantly grabbed the glass. “Eh, why the heck not.”

Soon Bud realized exactly why Bushroot didn’t drink anymore. He got drunk very quickly. Predictable.

“I think you’ve had enough,” Bud finally said, sliding the duck’s glass away from him.

To his surprise, Bushroot’s hand stopped him. 

“H-hold on,” Bushroot said. “I’m f-fine really, I’ll just ha-have a little bit more.”

“I said,” Bud moved his face closer to Bushroot’s, in a show of dominance. “You’ve had enough. I told you I wouldn’t let anything bad happen, that includes drinking too much.”

Bushroot imitated Bud’s movement, and now the tip of his beak was touching Bud’s snout. He had his hands planted on the dog’s legs. “Y-you don’t get to tell me what to do. I said, I’ll j-just have a bit more.”

After he spoke Reggie reached his arm out towards the drink, and Bud grabbed it gently by the wrist. Then his other arm made the same move, and Bud grasped that too, so he held both of the duck’s wrists.

“So which one of us was the straightedge again?” Bushroot asked with a small smile. He wriggled his wrists slightly, not enough to free them, but enough that Bud had to adjust his grip. 

“Y’know,” Bushroot continued. “When you hold me like this it makes me feel l-like you’re going to do something to me.” He looked at Bud, his voice quieter, his eyes wide. “You’re not g-going to do anything right?”

“I might,” Bud responded in a sing-song voice.

At this Reggie began to squirm more, this time trying to free himself. Before he could do so however, Bud planted a kiss one his lips and released his hands.

“There,” Bud said. “I did something.”

Bushroot placed his hands on Bud’s cheeks. “Well don't stop!” Then he pulled him closer began to kiss the dog passionately.

Bud happily returned the kiss, his hands instantly on Reggie’s body. It didn’t take long before the two were both entangled in each other. A few people had started to stare, but neither cared. This was exactly what Bud wanted, mouth, hands, backside, body, all over him. It wasn’t as if they were the only people who had ever made out in public, those bystanders would be fine.

It was only when Bushroot shifted himself onto the canine’s lap that Bud realized why their audience was a problem. He felt it, rubbing against him, and he knew they both had one. His own hands had gone to his partner’s behind, but only now did he realize the duck was mimicking his actions.

“I think I should go to the bathroom,” Bud said.

Bushroot looked disappointed. “Right now?”

Bud raised an eyebrow, and squeezed the doctor’s hand. Bushroot’s eyes widened and he nodded.

“Oh! I get it. In that case I-I’ll come too,” Reggie said.

Before he knew it, the two of them were in a bathroom stall, back at it. Bud had pressed Bushroot against the bathroom door, but the duck was surprisingly forceful with his affection. To retaliate, Bud had began kissing and nipping at his neck. 

“Buddy, please,” Bushroot moaned. “D-don’t tease me like this. You’re l-looking ravishing right now, I can’t stand it, I want you so badly.”

“Ravishing?” Bud smiled. “But Reggie, I’m in my casual clothes! What happened to ‘dress to impress?’”

“Oh I couldn’t care less,” Bushroot said. He looked straight into Bud’s eyes. Bushroot reached up to Bud’s shirt and began to unbutton it, very poorly. “L-lemme just.”

“Ok, slow down there!” Bud said. “I can do that myself if I want to, thank you.”

“‘If?’ ‘If you want to?’ C’mon Buddy p-please,” Bushroot said. “I-I just need to-to...”

Bud frowned. Reggie was really starting to fall apart. No, he had been falling apart this whole time. He was drunk, and Bud could tell because Bud… was still sober.

He felt a sudden pang of regret. This was what he had wanted, but it wasn’t… it wasn’t how it should be. Drunk Bushroot was fun but he was still different. He didn’t really know what he was doing, he couldn’t think straight. In the morning, Bushroot might not even remember any of this, he was so drunk. Bud wanted their first time really bad, so bad he had set this up. But he couldn’t let it be like this.

“Reggie stop,” Bud said. “We need to get you home.”

“What?” Bushroot asked. “Oh, so we’re going to my house. And there?”

“There I will leave you and I will go home,” Bud said with a sigh. 

“No, n-no, no!” Bushroot stammered. “We still have s-so much to do!”

Bud opened the stall door. “Later. I’m sorry.”

“B-but-”

“No buts. I’m taking you home, now. I told you I wouldn’t let you do anything you’ll regret.”

Despite Bushroot’s continued protests, Bud dragged him back out of the stall, all the way to his apartment. Though he made sure the two of them kept their clothes on, he didn’t stop the duck from touching him, kissing him, and leaning on him excessively. He had to admit he appreciated the contact, despite the fact that it prolonged the erection he still had when he left.  
Finally they reached Reggie’s apartment. By this time he had calmed down a slight bit, and assured Bud that he’d be able to get in and go to bed on his own.

Bud gave him a peck on the forehead. “I had fun tonight. Hope I succeeded in keeping you from doing anything you’ll regret.”

“Oh I can think of something I’ll regret,” Bushroot said sulkily.

Bud wanted to press further, but knew the best thing would be to leave. 

“See you tomorrow,” Bushroot called as he walked away.

“We’re off tomorrow,” Bud reminded him.

“Oh. Th-then see you whenever.” Bushroot turned to the apartment door, then turned back. “I love you Buddy.”

Though Bud didn’t stop walking he automatically responded: “I love you too.” But he was already too far away. He knew Reggie wouldn’t be able to hear, even though he said it out loud. But it was too late now, and the duck probably wouldn’t even remember it the next day, so he just kept walking.

…

It was late. He should’ve been sleeping. Wait, he had nothing to do tomorrow. Still, no excuse for staying up late thinking about him.

Was he regretting letting the opportunity go? Yes. He shouldn’t be. He shouldn’t regret making the responsible decision and taking Reggie home. He shouldn’t regret NOT taking advantage of his boyfriend while he was drunk. It had been the right thing to do.

But since when did he care about the “right thing to do?” He had set up that whole thing, and he had gotten so close but at the last second he had stopped because… 

It was so frustrating. The whole reason he had planned it was to get rid of these feelings, but they had only gotten worse. Now instead of being just horny, he was horny, filled with regret, and frustrated. 

And he was still… 

Was that still the there from this evening? How long had it been up? Well, if that was still there, then even if he couldn’t get with his boyfriend, he might as well still satisfy himself some way…


	4. Flattery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of their outing.

When Reggie woke up he could register one thing: his head hurt. Bad. And something had just happened. Had he fallen out of bed? No, when he looked up he saw he wasn’t in bed, he had been laying on the couch. Why had he been on the couch? He couldn’t remember. In fact he couldn’t remember almost anything clearly from the night before.

He stood up, and that felt bad too. Why had he let Bud convince him to drink again? That’s right, because he was charming perfect Mister Bud Flood and poor desperate little Reggie couldn’t resist him.

Well, at the very least Bud had kept him out of trouble. At least he hoped so. He really couldn’t remember. Did he trust Bud enough to assume he had kept his promise of keeping him from doing anything he’d regret?

That was a really good question.

Bushroot began to rummage in a pile of papers around for the one with Bud’s number. Upon finding it, he dragged himself over to the phone and began dialing.

“Reggie!” Bud answered very quickly. “How are you?”

“I shouldn’t have let you convince me to drink.”

  
“Ah, feeling tired? Nauseous? If so you may have a hangover!”

Reggie groaned. “Oh Buddy I’m not in the mood right now for your salesman talk. Can you just tell me what happened last night?”

“Well-uh-how much do you remember?”

Reggie searched his memory. He remembered after the first shot, and a bit after the second but then… there was a few fuzzy… memories? They could barely be called that.

“Not much,” Reggie said. “I remember drinking a bit then it goes all fuzzy. Why?”

“Just checking!” Bud cleared his throat. “Don’t worry, I didn’t let you do anything stupid.”

“Did I-” Reggie swallowed. “D-did I say anything weird while I w-was drunk? Did I try to-to do anything?”

Bud was quiet for a moment. “No. You got drunk and I walked you home.”

“And nothing happened after that?” Bushroot asked in a rush. “You d-didn’t come in or anything?”

“You were a bit too drunk to invite me in. Why?”

“Oh, I just-uh-” Reggie inhaled. “Didn’t want you to look after me any more than you needed to. I’m sure it wasn’t exactly fun taking care of me while I was drunk.”

“On the contrary,” Bud said. “In fact, you were quite delightful while under the influence. You make quite an adorable drunk.”

“Nice to know, but I doubt I’ll be like that again any time soon. I don’t think it’s anywhere near worth the headache I have right now.”

“Ah well, it was nice while it lasted. In the meantime, getting something to eat and drink might help,” Bud said.

“Ok,” Bushroot responded.

“Sorry that yesterday’s outing was a failure.”

“No!” Bushroot squeaked. “I mean the hangover isn’t great I’ll admit, and y’know forgetting so much isn’t fun, and-”

“Reggie I don’t know where you’re going with this.”

“The point is while the drinking part didn’t turn out well, I still got to spend time with you and that’s always enough for me.”

Bud laughter could be heard on the other end. “In that case, you are one easily satisfied customer!”

“Is that a bad thing?” Bushroot asked indignantly. “I was trying to be nice! I mean, I c-could say yes, you’re right it was a total failure, you should’ve taken me somewhere else and not gotten me drunk, I-”

“I think I get the idea!” Bud said. “There’s nothing wrong with it. I’m just saying, it’s ok to have standards Reggie.”

“I do have standards. You just happen to meet all of them.”

“You flatter me,” Bud said a hint of a playful tone in his voice. “Well, I’d love to continue to talk all day, but I have a few plans, so I’m afraid I’ll have to get going.”

“Oh, ok,” Reggie’s heart sank a little. “I love you Buddy.”

There was silence for a moment. When Bud finally spoke his normal confidence seemed to have ebbed, and he was quieter. “Love you too. I’ll see you at work.”

Then he hung up.

…

“Sir,” Sue said, exasperated. “Is Dr. Bushroot beginning to become a problem?”

Bud paced back and forth in his office. It was his first day back after the whole drunk Reggie incident and Sue had clearly had enough.

“No, of course he’s not a problem!” Bud said. “The Doctor is smart, passionate, and ador-capable. He performs exceptionally!”

Sue raised an eyebrow. “I think all of those descriptions are a bit… generous.”

Bud frowned but continued. “I’ve been slipping. Normally I’d be able to ignore this. I just need to refocus myself, but it’s been so damn hard!”

“Why do you find him so distracting anyway?” Sue asked. “I mean it’s not like you really care about him.”

Bud stopped pacing. Sighing, he slid his face into his hand. His eyes darted over to where Susanne stood, papers in hand  
“Oh my fucking god.” Susanne sounded incredulous, a rarity for her. “You do. You’re actually in love with him.”

“That is certainly a possibility.”

“Believe me it was obvious he had a thing for you, and I’m not surprised you started dating, but there’s a difference between dating to pass the time and dating because you’re actually, well…”

There was a moment of silence before she spoke again.

“Really though? Dr. Bushroot of all people? You’re getting all horny and worked up over him?”

“Well just because there’s no one in this office who you’d think was worth getting horny and worked up over,” Bud said.

“Your chorus girls,” Sue replied bluntly.

“Oh?” Bud laughed. “I guess I stand corrected.”

“But honestly sir, I think you really need to question your taste in men.”

“Just because you dislike him doesn’t mean he isn’t worthwhile.”

“Oh, I don’t dislike him sir. I don’t care about him enough to dislike him. I just think he’s just slightly more pathetic than most people.”

Bud would’ve been actually offended on Bushroot’s behalf if it hadn’t been Sue. Honestly coming from her it was barely an insult.

“Despite that,” he said. “I have unfortunately still fallen for him.”

“So what are you gonna do?”

“I figure scratching my ‘itch’ would probably satiate me, at least for a little while.”

“Does that mean you’re going to talk to him about it like a normal person, or be manipulative, like you normally are?” Sue asked.

“Undecided,” Bud replied. “Right now I-“

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

“Come In!” Bud called.

Tentatively Reggie opened the door. “Hope I’m not interrupting, I just thought you’d want those papers.”

“Ah yes!” Bud said. “Thank you Reggie. Actually I think Sue has the rest of them. Sue why don’t you take Reggie out and get those sorted? And why don’t we bring our conversation to a close?”

Bud winked at Sue, who didn’t bat an eye, but all the same, she led Bushroot out to her desk and took the papers from him.

“Well Sue,” Bushroot began.

“Don’t call me that,” Sue responded.

“Oh. Th-then Susanne, or Ms. Gnamie,” Bushroot stammered as she continued to stare at him. “Uh-well, anyway ma’am, I’ve been meaning to ask you, does Mr. Flood seem to be acting a bit off lately?”

Sue shrugged. “Yeah probably.”

“Oh. Do you know why?”

“Perhaps.”

Bushroot frowned. “Please ma’am, that’s not very helpful.”

Sue looked at him, her gaze blank. Again, all she said was: “Perhaps.”


	5. Relationship experience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bushroot begins questioning his relationship.

“I dunno, ever since that one night I got drunk he’s just been acting a-a bit differently. It’s like he’s trying to hide something from me, or like he wants something but he won’t tell me.” Reggie sighed. “And I know it’s probably business stuff that’s none of my concern. I just can’t help but wonder if m-maybe I did something wrong while I was drunk and now he won’t tell me. That’s the only reason why I’m asking!”

“Great,” Sue drawled. “And while I’m sure that’s all very interesting to someone who isn’t me, all I wanna know is: are you gonna take your coffee or not?”

“Oh, just give it to me,” Bushroot said, exasperated. He grabbed the coffee cup. “Since that’s all you care about.”

“Yeah pretty much.”

“B-but Bud talks to you more than he talks to anyone else here, besides me, so you-you gotta know something about how he’s feeling!”

“We talk more because I’m his secretary, it’s kind of my job to do that.” Sue began to walk away. “Besides we usually don’t really talk a lot about that touchy-feely stuff (though that has changed a bit recently). Even if I did, say, know exactly what he was hiding from you, I wouldn’t tell you.” 

Bushroot got up and began to follow her. “Well why not?”

“Because I don’t care.”

“Oh I see how it is. You-”

“I brought you coffee because you said it would help your work ethic doctor, not so we could chat. You should probably get back to doing that.”

Bushroot stopped and watched her as she left. He sighed and walked back over to his desk. Sue was probably right, he should be working. Relationships had never gotten in the way of his concentration before, he shouldn’t allow them to now. 

Then again, when had he really had a relationship this good? The best relationship he had with one of his coworkers before with one of his coworkers had been his relationship with… Rhoda. 

He hadn’t thought about her in a while. That was a train of thought he wasn’t sure he wanted to get into. Part of him wanted to see her again, but his feelings for Bud were already strange enough for him without thinking about his previous infatuations. Rhoda was still attractive to him, but Bud was attractive too, so what did that mean? He didn’t even want to think of her that way, he had a boyfriend.

Even without those confusing feelings, there were other things. When he had left the lab she had seemed so sure he’d be able to get work anywhere. Despite how much she had seemed to believe in him, it turned out that most people really didn’t take him or his work very seriously. After a while, he had begun running out of options. Bud’s company definitely hadn’t been his first choice, or his second, or his third or…   
Even though he wasn’t miserable here, he liked Bud, and the job paid well enough, he knew the company’s business practices weren’t exactly honest. The idea of having to tell his former colleague that he worked here, when she had been so optimistic…

Yes, he already had enough to think about without bringing her back into his thoughts. But that did bring up a question in his mind.  
…

“Buddy?” 

“Hmm?” Bud looked up from the papers he had been examining on Bushroot’s desk.

“What kinds of relationships have you had in the past?”

Bud cocked his head to the side. “Many kinds! But that’s an exceptionally vague question, and I get the feeling you’re interested in a specific answer.”

“I guess I wanted to know if you’ve dated men before? Or maybe if you’ve dated women before?” Reggie said. After a moment he added in a rush: “and maybe what kind of things annoyed you about people you’ve dated before, what’s a deal breaker that kind of stuff.”

“So basically, you just want to know if I’m gay, and what not to do while dating me?” Bud frowned. “Are you worried about something Reggie?”

“No! I mean not anything i-in particular. It’s just that it’s my first time in a relationship like this, so I thought you might know more about this stuff.”

“It’s your first time dating anyone?” Bud asked in surprise.

“Of course not!” Reggie said. He crossed his arms. “I meant I’ve never dated a man before. I may not be the most popular person, but I’ve had a couple girlfriends before.”

“So have I,” Bud said. “Girlfriends, boyfriends, I told you, I’m into anyone Reggie. Most of them didn’t end very well. Some of them were too clingy, sometimes I just lost interest, work got in the way…”

“Wait what do you mean by clingy?” Bushroot asked. 

“Listen Reggie, you have nothing to worry about! I wouldn’t even be telling you this if I had any reason to believe I would want to break up with you.”

“You wouldn’t?”

“Well, I’m not exactly the type to talk about my personal life with just anyone,” he said. Which was in no way a lie. Usually when he revealed personal information it was to gain trust. “Especially not things that could be somewhat… detrimental to my reputation.”

“I’m only wondering because you’ve been acting a bit… different lately.”

Bud stiffened for a moment. “Have I?”

“Yeah. Ever since we went out drinking,” Reggie said. “I don’t actually believe you when you say I didn’t do anything while I was drunk.”

Bud was silent for a bit. He hadn’t expected to be called out, and it was always frustrating when that happened. Now he had to think of some way to explain it without telling the truth. Or he could just avoid the topic and spout some sentimental-sounding bullshit. Acting vulnerable usually alleviated suspicion.

“Listen Reggie,” Bud began. “The thing is, I've rarely been in a relationship this long.” Yeah, that was a good start. “I didn’t really notice I was acting different, but it might be because you’re a tremendous partner! I just don’t want this to end the same way my other relationships have. Especially after our little outing didn't go as well as I had planned.” 

Short, but sappy. He could already see Reggie smiling. 

“Well I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I’m not about to break up with someone as handsome and charming as you,” Bushroot said.

Bud grinned, relieved to have avoided the truth. “Glad to hear it.”


End file.
